Electrically-operated i-beam switch.



S. H. LIBBY. ELEGTRICALLY OPERATED I-BE AM SWITCH.

AEPLIOATIDH FILED 081212, 1912.

iatnteii Man 31, 191%.

ii SHEETS'SHEET 2.

Sam M L,|bb5 a His Attorney when desired.

inverse sraags Parana orrron 5.263. E. FEEBBY, (33? EAST ORANGE, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CQFHPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

ELECTRIGALLY-OPERATED LIBEAM SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 12, 1912. Serial No. 725,508

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAM H. LTBBY, a. citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically OperatedI-Beam Switches, of which the following is a spe itication.

'l'h-s invention relates to, switches for monorail runways for travelingcranes, and its object is to provide a switch having a movable tonguewhich can be thrown from one position to the other by the craneman on anapproaching crane, in order to permit him to select which of two routeshe will take upon reaching the point where said routes diverge. Withthis end in view, the

switch tongue is connected toa reversible.

electric motor having preferably a divided field coil for running it inopposite directions. The terminals of said coils are connected to shortlengths of switching conductor laid parallel with and adjacent to thetrolley conductor for the traveling crane.

' By means of a movable contact, the cranenian can connecTthe properswitching conductor with the trolley conductor and send current throughthe motor to throw the switch. A limit switch in circuit with themotoiystops it promptly when the switch tongue comes in line with theproper tracl c, and sets itself for a reverse rotation of the motor tothrow the switch the other way The motor can be started from a cranecoming in either direction, on either the main or branch track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a.plan view of a switchembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is adiagram of the motor circuit; a is a front elevation of the limitswitch, on a larger scale and partly broken away; Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the limit switch, partly broken away, and Fig. 6 shows apor' tion of the crane.

The monorail track consists of I-beams, those constituting the maintrack being designated by the reference numerals 1., 2, while the branchtrack is numbered The avcling crane 1 has trucks 5, of which one shownin Fig. (i, and their wheels run on \he lower flanges ot' the trackbeams, being driven by a suitable electri motor. The switch tongue (3s-ction of I-beam suitably ivoted at one end to the end of the trackbeam 1, so that its free end can be swung laterally into line witheither the main track beam 2 or this branch track beam 3. This end ofthe switch tongue is preferably supported by a roller 7 running on aplate 8 which bridges the space between the tracks 2 and 3. Stops 9 onthe two tracks insure the proper alincment therewith of the tongue (3.

SuFpm-ted on the tracks is a frame composec of beams 10 and girders 11,on one of which is fastened an electric motor 12, geared to ascrew-threaded shaft 13 which is suitably journaled in hangers 14: andextends transverse to and above the switch tongue. A nut 15 meshes withsaid screw and is mounted in gimbals on the switch tongue; the gimbalframe 16 being capable also of sliding endwise on its pivots 17. Thismethod of mounting the nut enables it to -ride back and forth on thescrew in a straight line, while the switch tongue moves in the arc of acircle.

A friction brake 18 engages a brake wheel 19 on the shaft of the motor12, and normally set by a spring 20. An clcctromaguet 21 in circuit withthe armature QQ of said motor serves to release said brakes when thecurrent is turned on to start the motor, the brake going into operationautomatically when the motor circuit is opened. The field coil of themotor is divided into halves 23, 2%, one for moving the switch tongueone way and the other for the reverse movement. One terminal of thearmature connected between said halves of the field coil. The coil 23 isconnected to short lengths 25, 25 of switching conductor parallel withone side of the tracks 1 and 3, respectively, while the other coil 2% isconnected with similar switching conductors 26, 26, the former adjacentto the opposite side of the track 1. and the latter alongside the sameside of the track 2.

On each side of the car 28 of the crane is a lever 29 carrying contact30 which can be forced up by the craneman to bridge the trolleyconductor and a switching conductor on that side of the car. This sendscurrent through the motor and causes the switch tongue to be thrown-thedirection of movement being toward that side of the track on which thecraneman has made contact with the switching conductor. Thus, if hecloses the circuit upon 25 or 25(.-. the

Patented Mar. fin/1,914.,

tongue 6 will swing over into line with the branch track It anothercraneman sub sequently wishes to connect tracks 1 and'2, he energizesthe conductor 26 or 26, depending upon the-direction in which heapproaches the switch.

In order to stop the motor promptly when th switch tongue reaches theend of its throw, and also to provide for the reverse rotation of themotor when desired, a-lirnit switch is mounted on the girder 11 near themotor. This switch is preferably of the throw type, controlling the twofield coils with.

double pole double the connections of the switching conductors Aconvenient construction is shown in Figs. i and 5. The pairs of fingers31, 32 can be connected alternately by the bridging contact segments 33,3% on a rotary spindle 35, on which is a lever 36 having a pin 87 thrustbetween the uprightends 39, so of a helical spring 41 coiled looselyaround the spindle. A dog 42 on a rod l3 also engages the ends of thespring. 'The rod slides lengthwise in bearings 44 an has stops 45between which plays a 'tappet as on the switch tongue. The stops are seta shorter distance apart than the travel of the tappet so that it willstrike one or the other oi them and slide the rod at each throw of theswitch tongue. Pivoted above the end of the lever 36 are two catches 47,&8 adapted to engage therewith and detain it from moving. Thafportion ofthe rod adjacent to said catches is screw-threaded to receive two nuis4:9, 50

having beveled peripheries which serve as cams to lift said catches.Lock nuts 51 securethe cam nuts in place when properly ad'usted. Thecatches are preferably provi ed with antifriction rollers with whichsaid'camnuts engage.

The operation is as follows: Supposethe switch to stand as shown in Fig.3, and a crane approaches along track '1. If the cranenian wishes to runover on to track 3,- he operates the contact lever 29 on the left handside of his 'carso as to send current through the switching conductor25. This starts the motor 12, which revolves the screw 13 and swings theswitch tongue 6 over to the left. As it approaches the track 3, thevtappet e6 strikes one of the stops 45 on the rod 43 and slides it tothe left (in Fig. 4). The lever'36 is'caught by the de-@ tent catch 47,but the dog 42 puts a tension on the spring 41, so that whenin themovement of the rod the cam 49 strikes the roller i 52 on the catch andtrips it, the springsnaps the lever over to the end of its throw, and

thereby carries the contact segmer'its 33:

away from the fingers 31 and closes the segmerits 3d uponthe fingers 82.This puts the motor. circuits in condition for a reverse inc vementofthe switch when a craneman energizes the switching conductor 26 or 26.In accordance. with the provisions 6d the patent statutes,

represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understoodthat the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the inventioncan be carried. out by ther means.

What I claini as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is.:-

.1. The combinationwith a monorail runway, of a pivoted switch tongue, ascrew for operating it, an electric motor geared to said screw, a rodactuated by said switch tongue, a swltch controlling said motor, and asprin having one endengaged by em I have described -the principle ofoperation of my invention, to ether Qwith the apparatus which I nowconsi or to rod and the other connected to said switch.

2. The combination yvith a monorail run-i way, of a pivoted switchtongue, "a screw arranged transverse thereto, a. nut with said screw andconnected wlth $3.1

tongue by a gimbal joint, and alimit switch actuated-by saidtongue andcontrolling said motor. v

3. The combination with a monorailrunway; of a pivoted switch tongue, ascrew for operating it, an electric motor geared to said screw, asliding rod'actuated by said switch tongue, a rotary switch controllingsaid motor,= and a. springhaving one end engaged by said rod and theother connected to said switch. p f 4.. The combination with a monorailvrun way, of a-pivoted switch tongue, a screw for operatin it, anelectric motor cared to said screw, switch to? gue and carrying a dogand cams, a rotary witchcontrollingsaid motor and having a} leyer, aspring havingits ends engaged by said dog and said ever, and catchesadapted to engagesaid lever and be tripped by said" cams. I In witness'whereo'i, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of October, 1912.

" SAM H. LIBBY.

Witnesses:

ROGER BU'I'IERWORTH,

JOHN E. AIEXANDER.

a sliding rod actuate by said til ion

